The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 78: Phantom Thief Dauphin (22). Dahlia’s Ideal

The city’s atmosphere was unstable.

As a member of the guard responsible for maintaining public order, the vice-captain of the 8th Platoon could feel it in his bones.

“...It’s not surprising.”

At present, Lebruk was essentially a political vacuum.

All those who once held leadership positions had either become incapacitated or fled the city, leaving no one behind to rule or guide it.

Some argued that the city’s leadership never did anything for the people anyway, that they were only leeches, so it didn’t matter if they were gone. And indeed, the citizens were continuing their lives without much difficulty—for now.

But that wouldn’t last.

A city with over a hundred thousand people also had over a hundred thousand opinions. Without someone to mediate and lead, it was only a matter of time before the city fell into chaos.

Even without looking so far ahead, there were immediate problems to address—like taxes and diplomatic matters with neighboring territories.

Within the city, new groups had begun creeping out of the shadows, each aiming to seize the abandoned power. And every one of them was trying to bring Dahlia to their side.

With Dauphin vanishing without a trace, there was no other figure who commanded as much trust and support from the citizens as she did.

But... can our captain really handle politics?

No one doubted that she was a good person. But that also meant she was rigid—unyielding in her sense of duty.

If she clung to rules like before and insisted on simply doing her job as a guard, someone would surely exploit her blind spot.

The vice-captain and others would do their best to shield her from that, but it wouldn’t be easy.

He sighed at the thought—then blinked in surprise one day when Dahlia handed him a book.

“Uh, Captain? I don’t think I heard you right. Can you repeat that? This is what, now?”

“It’s a mana cultivation method. You do know what that is, right?”

“Well, yeah, I mean... I do, but...”

Mana was considered a natural gift.

Unlike stamina or swordsmanship, which improved through training and experience, mana could only be awakened—or not.

But with a mana cultivation method, even those born without talent could potentially acquire mana through training.

Of course, once acquired, progress would again depend on talent. But at least it allowed people to stand at the starting line.

That’s why such techniques were so rare and precious—why nobles hoarded them jealously.

Maybe it was different in other countries, but in the Birka Kingdom, this kind of knowledge couldn’t be obtained even if you tried.

So... where on earth had Dahlia gotten this?

Could it be—

“I wasn’t scammed, so wipe those suspicious looks off your faces.”

“...Have you awakened mind-reading magic?”

“Looking at your expressions, even an idiot could guess what you’re thinking.”

The squad members averted their eyes in embarrassment. Dahlia sighed and held the book out again.

“Just read it. Those who can’t read, pair up with someone who can. The book’s written as plainly as possible, so it shouldn’t be too hard. If there’s something you don’t get, ask me.”

They were skeptical. Of course they were. But it was Dahlia offering this—none of them had the heart to refuse her outright.

So they helped each other read. Practiced together. Tried it out, little by little.

And then, about a week later—

“W-wait! It’s working! It’s really working!!”

One of the female squad members jumped up in joy—she had awakened mana.

Coincidentally, she was the very one who had delivered the mysterious book from that strange man to Dahlia while she was imprisoned. ƒreewebɳovel.com

The others, who had been half in doubt, now opened their eyes wide and threw themselves into training with newfound zeal.

Two weeks after training began, half the squad had successfully awakened. And after one month, even the vice-captain—who had struggled the most—had gained control of mana.

Considering that mana cultivation usually required years of dedicated preparation to yield results, this was nothing short of miraculous.

“C-captain... how did you even—where did you get this...?”

They were overjoyed, but at the same time, a little afraid.

After all, they’d acquired something they never thought they’d touch—power.

“It wasn’t ‘simple,’” Dahlia said, shutting down their doubts.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“This technique is specialized in physical enhancement. The more you train it, the stronger your body becomes—and the stronger your body, the more efficiently you can use mana. You picked it up quickly because you already had well-trained bodies.”

The members of the 8th Platoon were all near the top of the second tier in terms of ability.

They already had the foundations in place. That’s why their progress had been fast. But if others with less preparation tried the same thing, they wouldn’t see results nearly as quickly.

After all, cultivation was still training.

Just like how everyone knows exercise is good for you, but few actually follow through, Dahlia’s method would degrade the moment they got lazy.

“Study it well. Before long, you’ll need to teach it to others.”

“...Captain, are you really planning to share this with people outside our unit?”

“The current guard system might be enough to keep internal order—but it won’t be enough to defend against outside threats. Still, since it’s all physical work, the guard will probably provide most of the volunteers anyway.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? What if people take the technique and run? What if someone uses it for evil? Wouldn’t it be better to—”

—Only give it to loyal followers who worship you unconditionally.

The vice-captain didn’t say it out loud. But Dahlia seemed to understand all the same.

She shook her head.

“Of course I’ll be selective. But not based on how loyal they are to me. The standard should be how well they follow rules and fulfill their duties.”

Not knights who swore allegiance to a lord, but a group that pledged itself to order and discipline, to protecting the peace and safety of the innocent.

It was an idealistic, unrealistic dream.

A fantasy that could easily rot into something monstrous—one that oppressed the innocent in pursuit of its own interests.

Even so, Dahlia had made up her mind.

Even if this wasn’t the perfect answer, she would walk the path she believed to be right.

And if, someday, she lost sight of that path and became a corrupt tyrant—

Then surely, a certain cheerful thief would come to punish her.

***

Several months later.

"─Dahlia, was it? Ever think of coming to work under me?"

The words, casually spoken by a noblewoman from House Redvell, froze the air in the reception room.

The people from Lebruk were caught between confusion and outrage, unsure of which to express first, while the members of House Redvell let out audible sighs of resignation—“There she goes again...”

The only ones unfazed were Dahlia herself, the noblewoman from House Redvell, and her escort—a sky-haired mage.

Dahlia replied plainly.

"No."

"Really? That’s a shame."

And that was it.

The lady of Redvell didn’t fly into a rage over being rejected by a mere commoner, nor did she show any displeasure at Dahlia’s curt answer.

She simply expressed a bit of regret—exactly as she had said she would.

The sheer simplicity of that reaction stirred something strange in Dahlia’s heart.

Claudia Redvell. One of the key players in the massive political game currently unfolding in the kingdom.

Born from the union of the Redvell Marquisate and the Birka royal family, she possessed what was arguably the most noble bloodline in the entire kingdom.

The fact that she came in ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) person to Lebruk—a city now technically on uncertain terms with House Redvell—just because Dahlia refused to meet her, and that she spoke to Dahlia, a mere commoner, as an equal... in every sense, it was nothing short of extraordinary.

And that person beside her... Blanca, was it?

Dahlia’s gaze shifted to the adventurer with sky-blue hair.

Her eyes held both sorrow and the strength to endure and move forward.

Though the crude sword at her waist and her slight, almost fragile frame suggested otherwise, Dahlia instinctively sensed:

...I think I could win if we fought. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Dahlia was likely stronger in terms of raw skill and current rank.

But Blanca exuded something that made even seasoned warriors tense up—a sense of imminent danger. The presence of someone capable of a giant-killing strike.

She didn’t feel “complete,” but rather like someone still growing, still evolving.

Are all high-ranking adventurers in the guild like this? If so, then the guild might be far more dangerous than Dahlia had ever imagined.

Whether she knew Dahlia had fallen into such speculation or not, Blanca remained silent.

Her demeanor suggested she was simply a temporary hire and nothing more.

“So then, how about an alliance?” Claudia offered next.

Dahlia raised an eyebrow. “Alliance? What exactly do you mean by that?”

“You’re isolated right now—trapped deep in Sarnos’s sphere of influence. The Count’s too restrained by us to act, but once he falls, others will start sniffing around. We’ll stop that.”

She wasn’t wrong.

There weren’t many fools who would willingly provoke a territory protected by House Redvell.

Even now, several factions had tried subtle pressure through trade and travel restrictions. If an alliance were formed, even those efforts might vanish.

“So you mean to make Lebruk Redvell territory?”

“That’s one way to do it. Honestly, this land has huge potential. With this population, this location, and this vast farmland... the fact that the Count couldn’t make anything of it just proves what a moron he was. But since you don’t want to work under me...”

Claudia leaned in.

Her rose-colored eyes met Dahlia’s pale green ones.

“You’re struggling not just with outside political pressure, but internal administration too, right? I’ll handle that. In return, you provide us with manpower and military support. Here—how do these employment terms sound?”

Dahlia’s eyes widened at the document presented to her.

“...Is this for real?”

“What, you think it’s too cheap? But that’s how first contracts go. I don’t know if you’ll send me top-tier talent or garbage. If they prove competent, I’ll raise their pay.”

Dahlia said nothing.

Because the truth was, the conditions weren’t “cheap” at all—compared to what House Sarnos used to offer, they were generous to the point of disbelief.

She’d heard the marquisate was wealthier than the count’s domain, but still... wasn’t this gap a bit much?

Dahlia asked for a day to consider.

After securing approval from the committee formed to govern Lebruk, she gave Claudia a nod.

It was the first collaboration between the three heroines who would one day shake the foundations of the Birka Kingdom.